Enrichment Programs & Clubs

Student clubs and activities

are a key element of student development and community building. Our extracurricular offerings allow students opportunities to lead other students, pursue individual interests, enhance classroom learning, and to both enrich and benefit from the school community.

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Lower School

Middle School

Upper School

Lower School

Enrichment Programs provide students with knowledge, skills, and character development in areas outside their required courses. Talented and experienced teachers provide our students with exciting and fun educational experiences in visual and theatre arts, science and athletics that complement our core curriculum.

The Albany Academies Enrichment Programs are offered in three sessions that coincide with our academic terms: fall, winter, and spring. Program choices are designed and developed for all student ages and abilities and they are taught by faculty members of The Albany Academies and experienced professionals. Program offerings will meet once per week for one hour within a session for a total of eight weeks. Please see the class schedule to the right for details times, locations, and fees.

This course will be run by our school counselor, Powell Cucchiella. The focus will be to develop relationships, social and emotional intelligence through game play. Games will include board games, card games, and other interactive games.Brain Games will take place in the Buttery on the AA campus.

The chess program is designed for chess players of all levels - novice and experienced. Instruction focuses on the fundamentals of chess to build skill level and love of the game. Chess will take place in the Buttery on the AA campus.

Upper School Clubs

The Albany Academy

Albany Academy for Girls

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The Academy Road is The Albany Academies, student run, online newspaper. We write articles on a variety of topics ranging from in-school news to current events. Our writers, from freshman to seniors, both girls and boys, each have diverse interests and passions that come through in their articles. With the nature of an online newspaper, it can be constantly updated and articles can be published at any time. In addition to writers and editors, members can also design graphics for articles as well as take photographs for use on the website.

The Art club meets once a week during club block in Mrs. Chasin’s room to work on various craft projects. The club will also make items to sell for fundraising activities for different charities. Completed projects will be displayed on both sides of the street.

Aside from the in-house tournament the chess club focuses on the three main parts of the game, the opening, the middle game and the end game. All players are ranked after two months and then we set the brackets for the tournament. Throughout the winter we complete the competition.

Club will meet regularly to schedule volunteers to staff different environmental opportunities. They will also hold discussions about environmental issues and discuss ways to raise awareness of those issues.

The International Club has the objective of providing support to international students at The Albany Academy through various activities, such as field trips, cross-cultural awareness activities, celebrating cultural holiday, etc. All students at The Albany Academies are welcome to join.

The Albany Academy Investment Club offers a unique learning experience, affording students the opportunity to experiment with real money in the American stock market. Club members are divided into small groups and challenged to research public companies in order to provide logical support for their investment choices. Once a stock choice is approved by a group leader and the faculty advisor, real shares are purchased on the stock market. Students are then tasked with monitoring their shares and determining the best time to sell. Members of the club leave with an improved understanding of the market and an appreciation of the risks associated with buying and selling shares. Any student interested in the stock market or equity investment is encouraged to join.

The aim of our peer tutoring program is to offer students the opportunity to tutor their classmates in all courses that are based upon core mathematical principles. We offer help in all levels of mathematics, in addition to chemistry and physics classes. By affording students the chance to hold leadership positions and help others, we contribute to the academic growth of the Albany Academies and pave the way for a community that emphasizes the importance of spreading knowledge to all.

The Albany Academies Upper School Robotics Team competes in the FIRST Robotics Tech Challenge as FTC Team 4809. The team, known as “Botman”, designs, builds, and programs a robot every year to compete in tournaments across New York State. Team members learn important technical skills in design, fabrication, 3-D printing, and Java programming as well as practicing management skills in areas of communication, organization, and public speaking.

Every winter, Middle School and Upper School students from both campuses have the opportunity to enjoy some outdoor winter fun with Ski Club! For five Friday nights in January and February, students are transported by motor coach to the Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, where they can enjoy three hours on the mountain with their friends, accompanied by our chaperones. In addition to skiing and snowboarding, students have the option of taking an hour long lesson as well. Students may bring their own gear, or rent skis/snowboards from the Snowsports Desk at Jiminy Peak.

Registration is now open. Please download the following forms and return them to Elise Balint, along with payment. Questions? Email Elise at balinte@albanyacademies.org.

Primary focus is Lincoln-Douglas debate with forays into political and moral philosophy. Eventually, students will participate in tournaments throughout the Northeast. Primary meeting time is Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Student ambassadors help with different aspects of presenting our school positively. They work with the Admissions office with campus tours, student visits, and our Open House. Some students present during our monthly Lunch on Us meetings giving perspective families an idea of what it is like to be an Academy student. Ambassadors help with different events throughout the year both on and off campus as well as coordinate with other offices in many different facets.

The heart of democracy is participation, and that extends far beyond voting. A clash of ideas and activism are what really fuel the fire. The Student Political Forum, or SPF, allows students to congregate and express their own personal beliefs on communal, national, and global issues we face. Monthly meetings with federal, state, or local elected officials are a mutual benefit between SPF and our elected representatives. Students benefit because our voices will be heard, we learn from others and gain new ways of thinking, and we gain the invaluable experience of working with these leaders. Elected officials benefit from getting another perspective of an often neglected, but prominent and highly influential group.

This club will provide students the opportunity to voice their opinions about current political issues without being discriminated against due to their outlook. The mission of the club is to unite students of all political ideologies and encourage a deeper understanding of current political issues.

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The Academy Road is The Albany Academies, student run, online newspaper. We write articles on a variety of topics ranging from in-school news to current events. Our writers, from freshman to seniors, both girls and boys, each have diverse interests and passions that come through in their articles. With the nature of an online newspaper, it can be constantly updated and articles can be published at any time. In addition to writers and editors, members can also design graphics for articles as well as take photographs for use on the website.

The Art club meets once a week during club block in Mrs. Chasin’s room to work on various craft projects. The club will also make items to sell for fundraising activities for different charities. Completed projects will be displayed on both sides of the street.

Primary focus is Lincoln-Douglas debate with forays into political and moral philosophy. Eventually, students will participate in tournaments throughout the Northeast. Primary meeting time is Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Mock Trial is a club open to students in grades 9-12. Each year, the team prepares a case provided by the New York State Bar Association and competes against other schools in Albany County in a courtroom setting. Students play the roles of either lawyers or witnesses and learn to improve and use skills such as public speaking and improvisation. Practices begin in December and the trials begin in late February.

PAWS Club advocates for humane treatment of animals, promotes responsible pet ownership, and introduces students to various opportunities for volunteering and/or career work in various animal-related fields.

The Albany Academies Upper School Robotics Team competes in the FIRST Robotics Tech Challenge as FTC Team 4809. The team, known as “Botman”, designs, builds, and programs a robot every year to compete in tournaments across New York State. Team members learn important technical skills in design, fabrication, 3-D printing, and Java programming as well as practicing management skills in areas of communication, organization, and public speaking.

Student ambassadors help with different aspects of presenting our school positively. They work with the Admissions office with campus tours, student visits, and our Open House. Some students present during our monthly Lunch on Us meetings giving perspective families an idea of what it is like to be an Academy student. Ambassadors help with different events throughout the year both on and off campus as well as coordinate with other offices in many different facets.